Splat!
by Halley the Comet
Summary: Ted invites the gang to an art class he saw on a leaflet. Although they are reluctant at first, they agree to go along. When they get there, they discover Barney has an unlikely talent, much to the jealously of Lily.


**Hey guys. This is just a little story that I typed up on a whim. I don't own HIMYM, or the characters. **

'**Kids, have I ever told you the story of how we all went to art class?'**

'**Dad –'**

'**It all started when I saw this leaflet…'**

'_Please,_ guys!' Ted wailed.

'Look bro, I'm all in for new things,' Barney said, waggling his ring finger, 'but seriously, _art_ classes? We're not in college anymore, dude.'

After a few strange look, Barney hurriedly said, 'it wasn't optional.'

Robin rolled her eyes. 'I hate to agree with Barney,' she said, ignoring the 'hey!' of indignation from Barney, 'but come on, Ted. You don't expect us to do this, do you?'

'Look, it'd be fun!' Ted insisted. 'All you have to do is paint and then show your work to the teacher when you've done. And you get free biscuits the first time you go.'

He passed them the leaflet he picked up. 'Just take a look?' he pleaded.

Robin picked it up gingerly. 'Why do you want to do art classes anyway?' she asked.

'Well, it's something new, plus there's going to be women there,' Ted told her. 'Who knows…?' He leaned forward for emphasis. 'Maybe I'll meet the One there.'

Barney made a farting noise with his hands. He and Robin both cracked up. Ted rolled his eyes, snatching the leaflet from her.

'Okay, okay,' Barney smiled, seeing that Ted was getting annoyed. 'We'll go. But only for one lesson.'

Ted grinned. Robin groaned.

'Welcome everyone!' A bright, cheery faced woman smiled at the new art class she was about to teach. Her blonde hair was scraped back into a ponytail, and her T-shirt was covered in paint splatters.

Lily had also joined them, with Marshall agreeing to stay home with Marvin, as she was the artistic one. Robin had reluctantly agreed to come, and so had Quinn.

Everyone was given a small canvas, and told to paint whatever they liked.

Barney raised his pencil and was about to draw an image of what the woman's chest would look like without her top on, but then realised his fiancée was standing right next to him. He quickly sketched something else.

Lily did a quick sketch of baby Marvin asleep in his crib. She smiled fondly, as if it was real. She picked up her paintbrush and started to paint colour in.

Time soon passed. 'Okay everyone, put down your brushes and gather round,' the woman with the blonde hair smiled.

The gang joined the others crowding near the woman.

'God, this is boring,' Barney muttered, slightly too loudly, when the art teacher started talking about textures of paintings, the colours, the _emotion_ that the artists painted in. 'so what, if the artist sees a bowl of apples he starts crying?'

'Ssh,' Lily hissed, mesmerised by the teacher's words.

The teacher droned on and on for hours – well, it felt like hours to Barney and Quinn, who was almost as bored as he was.

Then she asked who would like to volunteer to show their work.

A woman called Vicky showed hers. It was a rather dull picture; just a yellow splodge on a brown background. It wasn't very good, but the teacher didn't seem to mind.

'How about you?' she asked, pointing at Barney. She didn't seem to notice Lily's hand waving wildly in the air, threatening to smack someone in the face.

'Nah,' Barney said casually. 'It's rubbish.'

'No need to be shy.' _Shy?_ Barney stared at her, while Quinn tried not to laugh. 'Come on, let's see it. Please?' She smiled at him.

Barney unwillingly showed it to her. Everyone stared at it, fascinated. It was a manga-style painting of a man, who looked very similar to Barney with the same blonde hair and blue eyes, playing a very cool looking red and purple electric guitar. In the background there were the other band members – a drummer with red streaked hair, another guitar player, but this time with a plain black guitar. On the edge of the paper there was a guy playing the keyboard. To fill in the spaces, he had borrowed a pen and inked musical notes in the background.

'Oh my,' the teacher said, a little taken aback. 'Sir, this is amazing! Did you go to art school?'

'I – er – no,' Barney said, a little embarrassed. 'They did make us do art in college though.'

'Well, I don't know if I have any advice for you. Just keep practicing,' the teacher said with her plastic smile. 'Now, who's next…?'

All of the gang apart from Lily gathered round and congratulated him. Robin with a 'nerd!', but she grinned at him.

Lily scowled, feeling annoyed.


End file.
